Ag News: National Pollinator Week and US-EU Drop Trade Tariffs
**If you aren’t already celebrating, THIS is National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, as proclaimed Monday by Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Pollinator species, such as birds, bats, bees, and other insects, play an important role in producing more than 100 crops grown in the United States.
Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually and are critical to ensuring our diets are plentiful with fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
**A 17-year conflict between Boeing and Airbus over aircraft subsidies is coming to a temporary close as the U.S. and European Union agree to a truce that could spill over as a positive for some U.S. ag products.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai tells www.agweb.com "after weeks of intense diplomacy," we’ve agreed to suspend subsidies for five years.
In March, the two sides agreed to a four-month suspension on tariffs on everything from EU cheese and wine to U.S. tobacco, spirits, cotton, cheese, vegetables and nuts.
www.agweb.com/news/policy/politics/us-eu-resolved-rift-
could-be-boost-some-us-agricultural-exports?mkt
**Pastures have dried out much earlier than usual, leaving California sheep ranchers having to decide how to sustain their operations.
Many have thinned flocks by selling lambs early. Ranchers who offer targeted-grazing services to reduce wildfire fuel say demand for their services has surged.
But all ranchers say an impending state overtime rule for sheepherders threatens to undermine the entire sheep business.